Rolling-mill spindle-coupling.



C. H. HUNT.

' ROLLING MILL SPIN DLE COUPLING.

3 SEEETS-SHBET 1 Patented Oct. 27, 1914,

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, 1914.

'c. H. HUNT.

' ROLLING MILL SPINDLE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, 1914.

1,115,433, I Patented Oct-27,1914.

3 SHEETS SHEBT 2.

G. H. HUNT. ROLLING MILL SPINDLE COUPLING.

AAAAAAAAAAAA TT-ED MAY 23, 1914.

1 1 15,4330 Y Patented 0ct;27,1914.

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ROLLING-MILL SPINDLE-COUIPLING.

Be it -known that I, CLINTON H. HUNT, a

- citizen of the United States, residing at ratus and which are Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning and State of new and useful Improvements in Rolling- Mill Spindle-Couplings, of which the following is a specification. p

-This invention relates to that class of "shaft couplings which are spec ally designed and adapted for rolling mill appaknown as spindle coulings to connect the .drive pinions with the rolls for the purpose of rotating the latter.

To this end, the invention contemplates a novel and practical improvement 1n splndle couplings particulary adapted for use 1n connection with rolling mills ofthe two high or three-high type, the rolls of which require frequent adjustment in a vertical direction-to accommodate thevarious sizes erated upon;

bars, plates and so on being ppand, as a special feature of improvement, the invention has in view a specially designed formation and combination of blooms,

of contacting bearing surfaces between. the

. spindle two jointed members of the coupling in order to overcome and eliminate certain obectionable characteristics of that type of spindle coupling exemplified, for instance, by United States Letters Patent No. 1,041,773, issued to Harry R. Greer on October 22, 1912. In this patented type of coupling the spindle head, from which projects the rectangular knuckle pieces or projections, is formed with a con1cal end bearing surface, while the opposing end bearing surface on the head of the, roll-neck or pinion-neck (which constitutes the journal element) is fiat and disposed at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the roll or pinion. This formation and relation of contacting bearing surfaces between the two members of the coupling give rise to a num .ber of objections which seriously interfere Ohio, have invented certain- Specification of Letters Patent. P t t g 7, 1

' Applicationfiled May 23, 1914. Serial No. 840,402.

spindle is horizontah'while, in less angular ositions, a non-uniform alternating contactetween these surfaces produces a longitudmal reciprocation or vibration of the spindle, which is very detrimental to the running thereof. Furthermore, by reason of the relation of the conical surface on the spindle end to the fiat surface on the journal element of the driving pinion-neck, as the roll is lifted, the spindle gravitate's in the direction of the pinion, thereby reducing the area of contact between the interengaged coupling parts at the roll end of the spindle and causing those parts to wear away more rapidly than the corresponding parts at the pinion end of the spindle, so that a proper alinement cannot be maintained between the pinion shaft and the roll. It is also very diflicult to machine a conical surface between the knuckle projections on the endsof the spindle, and while this is not absolutely necessary, it .is very desirablein order tfo provide smoothly working contact suraces.

Accordingly, the present invention has primarily 1n view an improved construction of spindle coupling which admits. of the parts beingv properly and readily machined, eliminates the longitudinal reciprocation or vibration of the spindle, and maintains a practically uniform bearing or contact relation between the coupling parts at both ends ofthe spindle, thereby allowing the spindle to work through a greater angular variation and equalizing the wear of the coupling; parts at both ends.

With these and many other. objects in' view which will be readily noted by those familiar with this particular class of couplings, the invention consists in the novel construction,

combination-and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described,

illustrated and claimed.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in wh1ch Figure l is an elevation of a blooming millillustrating the improved spindle cou pling between the rolls of the mill and the drive pinions, the upper roll of the mill being elevated to an extreme position to show they angular position assumed by the coupling spindle. Fig. 2 is a detail elevation of the improved coupling illustrating the axis of the spindle disposed at an angle to too the axis of the roll or pinion shaft with -with the coupling rotated ninety degrees from the position shown in that figure. Fig. 6 is a cross sectionof the coupling on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic elevation illustrating the faulty ac tion of that type of coupling upon which the present invention is designed as an improvement. Figs. 8 and 9 are diagrammatic face views of the separate coupling members illustrated in Fig. 7.

Like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings. 1 1

Fig. 1 shows a rolling mill apparatus, including the usual rolls 1 and 2 (of a twohigh mill) having the journal elements or necks 3 turning in the bearings mounted in the roll housings 4', and the conventional drive pinions 5-5 with the journal elements or necks 6 turning in the bearings? mounted in the pinion housing or frame 8. These pinions are driven'inthe ordinary manner by suitable power, and in turn drive the rolls through the medium of the spindle couplings, each of which couplings connects one of the pinions with one of the rolls. Each coupling consists of the connecting spindle 9 and a gimbal coupling joint J between op posite ends of the spindle and the roll and pinion necks 3 and 6, respectively, and as the joints J are duplicates in construction and action, one description will suffice. Referring particularly to the detail construction of said coupling joint, it will be observed that the spindle element 9 is formed with a coupling member or head 10, preferably of circular formation, and provided with a flat end bearing surface 11 which lies in a plane at right angles to the axis of the spindle, and from which projects a pair of s aced knuckle projections 12. These knuc le projections are preferably rectangular in .cross section and are disposed in planes parallel to the axis of the spindle and adapted to slidably'engage between the oppositely arranged bearing slippers 13. The bearing slippers 13 are arranged. in opposite positions and are formed with external convexed faces slidably fitting the correspondingly concaved bearing surfaces 14: of the opposite walls of the joint socket 15 which receives the knuckle projections 12 of the spindle element.

The joint socket l5,'which accommodates the oscillatory bearing slippers 13 with the knuckle projections 12 between them, is

formed -by bifurcating the coupling member 'or head '16 on the journal element (3 or 6) of the coupling; In order to maintain the interengaging parts in proper coupled relation, a coupling bolt 17 is passed 'through' A distinctive and important featureof the,

present invention is'that of forming the end of the coupling member or head 16 for the journal element (3 or 6) with a convexed end bearing surface 22. The curvature of this bearing surface 22 is distinctly of an oblate spherical c r-spheroidal character, and the generating curves of this surface radiate from the center toward all points on the circumference. It'is this'pblate spherical or- 'fipheroidal surface against which the fiat rface ofthe spindle end bears and rotates, and secures the various objects and advantages hereinbefore indicated.

Effective lubrication of the entire coupling joint may be conveniently and satisfactorily effected by providing the. knuckle projections 12 with'o'il chambers 23 having their outside ends closed by filler plugs 24 and having radiating passages 25 in commu nication with oil holes 26 piercing the slippers 13. The oil chambers 23 have their inner ends open on to the bearing surfaces between the inner faces of the knuckles 12 and the flat ends of the spacing block 20. The passages 25' and holes 26 provide for supplying lubricant to both faces of the bearing slippers 13, all of which will readily appear from an inspection of Fig. 6 of the I drawings.

Since the distinguishing and characteristic feature of the invention resides in form ing the end of the journal element for the roll or pinion with an oblate convex'ed hearing surface opposing a flat bearing surface at the adjoining end of the spindle in order to provide and maintain a uniform and constant contact therebetween, the more str king and practical advantages of this construction are emphasized by reference to the group of di rammatic views of Figs. 7, 8 and 9 of the lfrawings. These-diagrammatic views represent the patented type of spindle construction hereinbefore referred to, and

for the purpose of this diagram, Fig. 7 illus-.' trates the'adjoinin ends, to be coupled, .of

vthe roll or pinion and ofthe spindle, the

, patent referred to.

axes of these separate elements being angularly related as indicated. In this figure of the drawings the letter A designates the coupling member at the end of the roll or pinion, said coupling member being bifurcated as indicated at B, and formin the oppositely arranged cheek blocks The end of this coupling member A is provided with an end bearing or contact face D, the lane of which is represented by the line --Y, and is disposed at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the roll or pinion. The complementary coupling E at the end of the connecting spindle 9 carries the knuckle projections which are interlocked with the coupling member A in the manner shown in the These coupling projections are not shown in this figure,- being omitted for the purpose of illustrating the action of the face from which they project, said face being designated by the reference letter F, and being truly conical. It has already been pointed out that in a coupling of this construction, where the end of the spindle is of conical formation and the roll or pinion end is flat, these surfaces will roll properly in contact only when the angle of inclination of the spindle is equal :to the angle between the two end surfaces when the spindle is horizontal. When the spindle is working at a lesser anglewe have the condition which is illustrated by the diagram of Fig. 7. Noting the example furnished by this diagram, the reference character a designates the point V or pinion end with the conical surface F on the spindle end, which pointon the spindle end, during one revolut1on of the coupling, describes a circle all points of which are in a plane (X-'X Fig. 7) at right angles to the axis of the spindle. point of contact on the roll or pinion end rotates in the plane Y-Y at right'angles to the axis of the roll or pinion. This point is in contact alternately with each of the opposite'cheek blocks C of the roll or pinion end throughout one-half of the revolution,

and it is evident that as the point a on the.

pinion end rotates from the vertical to the horizontal'plane, point I) on the conical surface of the spindle end must shift to the point designated by 6 within the plane X'X, so that the spindle end takes the position shown by the dotted lines. As suggested on page 1, this produces a reciprocal movement of the spindle twice each revolution, and reduces the area of contact between the interengaged coupling parts at the roll end of the spindle, thus causing a nonuniform Wearing of those parts.

, By comparison with the foregoing, it will now be readily understood that the novel combination and character of surfaces 11 and 22, which are important features of the .present invention, involve a construction toward the outer circumference,

path of contact on each surface is always a co pling heretofore of contact of the roll The correspondin wherein the spindle end, with its flat bearing surface, can be easily machined on a planer, and the 'spherical or spheroidal end of the roll or pinion can be easily machined on a lathe, since the roll or pinion end is usually cast with a bridgev of metal connecting the inner surfaces of the knuckle projections at their outerends to serve for centerin the same when turning, which metal bridge is afterward removed when finishing the inner surfaces of the projections. It is apparent that this construction allows a perfectly machined contact -or bearing surface on the roll or pinion end, against which the machined end surface of the spindle gs bears and rotates when the spindle has shifted longitudinally toward the pinion, caused by thelifting of the roll as heretofore explained. Furthermore, it will be noted that as the upper mill rollis raised, as

and the angularity of thespindle increases, the point ofcontact between the journal element" and the end of the spindle moves out and the circular one which is concentric with the axes of the journal andspindle elements, thereby producing a perfect rolling contact I between the two surfaces, and practically eliminating the longitudinal vibration or reciprocation of the spindle, asdescribed and shown to exist in the patented type of con-- referred to. a In further explanation of the action involved with my improved coupling, reference will be made to Fig. 4 of the drawings,- wherein a is the center of oscillation of the bearing slippers, and in Fig. 5 the line H may be regarded as being described on the surface of the knuckle spindle end, said. line being perpendicular to the axis of the spindle and lying ina plane passing through the center a perpendicular to the axis of the roll or pinion when the longitudinal axis of the spindle and the roll or pinion are coincident, and

when the working clearance is equally divided between the ends of the spindle and the roll and pinion. As the upper roll is raised and the spindle assumes the angular position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the flat surface of the end of the spindle comes in contact with the convex surface of the pinion end, due to the spindle shifting endwise so that all theworkmg clearance comes at me the roll end of the spindle, and the convex surface is so formed that as the angle of the spindle to the horizontal axis of the pinion increases, the .line dd is drawn outward toward the end of the pinion, an amount equal to half of the theoretical increase of the length of the spindle, so that the bearing, surface between the slippers and the rectangular projections on the spindle is the same at the rollend as at the pinion 13o projections of the 105 as in Fig. 3,

end, excepting a slight difference due to the working clearance at the roll end, and this Working clearance is constant for. all angular variations of the spindle when working 'within its proper limits.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation and many advantages of the herein described improvement in spindle couplings for rolling mills-will be readily apparent without further description, and it is also to be understood that While the coupling is shown and illustrated inconnection with a two-high rolling mill, it is equally applicable to a three-high or other style of rolling mill, and in fact to any apparatus or machine in which it is desired to transmit rotating motion through an angular position. V

I claim: 1. A spindle coupling of the classdescribed, including in combination, the

journal element of the roll or pinion provided with a coupling member having an oblate convexed end bearing surface, and the spindle element having a coupling member slidably jointed to said other coupling member and provided with a flat end bearing surface opposing said convex surface.

surface, and a spindle element having a coupling member universally jointed with said other coupling member and provided With aflat end bearing surface lying in a plane at right angles to the axis of. the

spindle element and opposing said spheroidal bearing surface.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CLINTON H. HUNT.

Witnesses:

D. F. ZOLLNER, L. E. TAYLOR. 

